Mission Furniture: How to Make It, Part 2 — Story, Setting & Ideas

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Authors: Windsor, H. H. (Henry Haven), 1859-1924 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2007 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Furniture making -- Amateurs' manuals; Furniture, Mission -- Design and construction Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 22,472

Reading time 98 min

Text sections 4

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Source: Project Gutenberg record #23991

This editorial note examines the instructional methods in H. H. Windsor's 1910 woodworking manual, focusing on how it simplifies complex joinery for amateurs through symmetrical designs, standardized dimensions, and step-by-step procedures, as seen in the side chair and arm chair plans.

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Popular Mechanics Handbooks

Chicago Popular Mechanics Company

Copyrighted, 1910 by H. H. Windsor

This book is one of the series of handbooks on industrial subjects being published by the Popular Mechanics Co. Like the magazine, these books are "written so you can understand it," and are intended to furnish information on mechanical subjects at a price within the reach of all.

The texts and illustrations have been prepared expressly for this Handbook Series, by experts; are up-to-date, and have been revised by the editor of Popular Mechanics.

The dimensions given in the stock list contained in the description of each piece of furniture illustrated in this book call for material mill-planed, sanded and cut to length. If the workman desires to have a complete home-made article, allowance must be made in the dimensions for planing and squaring the pieces. S-4-S and S-2-S are abbreviations for surface four sides and surface two sides.

A PLAIN OAK HALL CLOCK, 10

A CURVED BACK ARM CHAIR, 18

TOOL FOR MARKING DOWEL HOLES, 23

A WASTE PAPER BASKET, 27

AN OAK WRITING DESK, 29

AN OAK COUCH WITH CUSHIONS, 33

ELECTRIC SHADE FOR THE DINING ROOM, 37

A LEATHER-COVERED FOOTSTOOL, 50

ARTS-CRAFTS MANTEL CLOCK, 52

MAKING SCREWS HOLD IN THE END, 58

A WALL CASE WITH A MIRROR DOOR, 59

AN EXTENSION DINING TABLE, 77

AN OAK-BOUND CEDAR CHEST, 79

A TOOL FOR MAKING MORTISES, 84

A DRESSER FOR CHILD'S PLAYROOM, 85

CUTTING TENONS WITH A HAND-SAW, 90

ARTS AND CRAFTS OIL LAMP, 91

ANOTHER CHINA CLOSET, 94

AN OAK FOOTSTOOL, 101

A LIBRARY SET IN PYRO-CARVING, 105

A GRILLE WITH PEDESTALS TO MATCH, 107

A LADY'S WRITING DESK, 108

A TELEPHONE STAND AND STOOL, 112

HOW TO MAKE A DOWEL-CUTTING TOOL, 115

A MEDICINE CABINET, 116

List of Illustrations

Hall Clock Complete, 11

Details of Hall Clock, 11

Rocking Chair Complete, 15

Details of Rocking Chair, 15

Arm Chair Having Bent-Wood Back, 19

Details of Curved Back Arm Chair, 19

Parts Held Together by Keys, 22

Details of Plate Rack, 23

Marking Bore Holes for Dowels, 24

Details of Magazine Table, 27

Detail of Writing Desk, 29

Writing Desk Complete, 31

Details of Mission Couch, 35

Electric Shade Complete, 39

Hose Attached to Teakettle, 41

Smoking Stand Details, 43

Finished Smoking Stand, 43

Details of China Closet, 47

China Closet Complete, 49

Footstool Leather Covered, 51

Details of Footstool, 52

Mantel Clock with Wood and Copper Front, 53

Details of Mantel Clock, 54

Details of Music Stand, 55

Music Stand Complete, 55

Wall Case Details, 60

Case with Mirror Door, 61

Side Chair Complete, 63

Details of Side Chair, 64

Arm Chair Complete, 67

Completed Bookcase, 70

Details of Bookcase, 70

Details of Lamp Stand, 74

Electric Lamp Stand Complete, 75

Extension Dining Table Complete, 77

Details of Dining Table, 77

Details of Cedar Chest, 79

Cedar Chest Complete, 83

Boring Holes for Tenons, 84

Details of Dresser, 85

Drawer Construction, 89

Artistic Mission Style Oil Lamp, 91

Bronze Shade Holder, 91

China Closet with Latticework Doors and Sides, 96

Details of China Closet, 96

Oak Bedstead Complete, 99

Details of Oak Bedstead, 101

Details of Footstool, 103

Footstool Complete, 103

Table and Seat Decorated in Pyro-Carving, 105

Grille for an Arch, 107

Details of Writing Desk, 109

Stand and Stool Complete, 112

Details of Stand and Stool, 112

Easy Way to Make Dowels, 116

Medicine Cabinet Complete, 116

Details of Medicine Cabinet, 117

The accompanying sketch and detail drawing show a design of a buffet wherein refinement of outline and harmony of details are conspicuously regarded. Quarter-sawed oak is the most suitable wood for this handsome piece of mission furniture. The material should be ordered from the mill ready cut to length, squared and sanded. Following is a list of the stock needed:

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H. H. Windsor's Mission Furniture: How to Make It, Part 2 (1910) is a practical handbook that systematically reduces the complexity of furniture construction for the amateur woodworker. The book's approach is evident in its treatment of chair design: where many plans require angled rails and irregular mortise placement, Windsor specifies that the side chair is "the same in width, both back and front, so that the shoulders of all the rails are at right angles to the sides." This deliberate simplification extends to the arm chair, which is "intended to be one of the set of diners made after the design of the side chair." The text consistently prioritizes clarity over decorative flourish, offering detailed stock lists and explicit assembly sequences.

Symmetry as a Teaching Tool

Windsor repeatedly eliminates the angled joinery that confuses beginners. The side chair's back is straight, and its rails on side, front, and back are placed "on the same level." This uniformity allows the mortises to be laid out with a try-square and simple measurements transferred across all four posts at once. The arm chair follows the same principle: its front posts can be cut square and fastened with lag screws, though Windsor notes a shouldered tenon is mechanically superior. By standardizing the rail positions and keeping the chair width constant, the book reduces the risk of errors in angle cutting—a common stumbling block for novices.

Material Specifications and Preparation

Each project begins with a precise stock list calling for material that is "mill-planed, sanded and cut to length." Windsor explains that S-4-S and S-2-S denote surfacing on four or two sides, and he advises adding 1/2 inch to lengths for squaring ends. For the side chair, he specifies "plain sawed red oak" and lists exact dimensions for posts, rails, slats, and cleats. The instructions emphasize preparing posts by chamfering lower ends to prevent splintering and cutting top ends at a 45-degree angle. This level of detail—down to the thickness of tenons (3/8 inch) and the method of transferring measurement lines across multiple pieces—reflects a pedagogical focus on repeatable, error-resistant processes.

Assembly Sequence and Reinforcement

The assembly order is carefully prescribed: for the side chair, the back is glued first, then the front, and finally the side rails are added. Cleats are attached to front and rear rails to create a recess for a cushion, and slats are fastened to the cleats' top edges rather than let into them. Windsor notes that lag screws can reinforce joints but adds that "if the glue is good and the joints well fitted, these are not necessary." This pragmatic advice—acknowledging both ideal and practical methods—is characteristic of the manual's tone. The arm chair's arms can be attached with lag screws or through-mortises, with Windsor favoring the latter mechanically while accepting the former for simplicity.

Readers should note that this manual assumes access to basic woodworking tools and a bench, but it does not assume prior experience with joinery. The instructions are written to be followed sequentially, with each step building on the last. Pay close attention to the stock lists and the repeated emphasis on squaring and measuring—these are the foundation of the book's method. The projects are designed to produce functional, unornamented furniture in the Mission style, and the text's value lies in its clear, systematic guidance rather than in aesthetic commentary.

I keep returning to the plans in Windsor’s little manual, how a chair’s sturdy calm comes from numbers alone. That same quiet order drifts through my old copy of Choffard — Reading Notes, lost margins where someone underlined patience. Both books feel less like instructions than ways to sit still and listen to the grain of the work.